


a child war machine

by MochiiOverlord



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Author Is Sleep Deprived, Child Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Deviants can feel pain, Gen, Pure Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Soft Connor (Detroit: Become Human), author doesnt know how to title, lapslock, no beta we die like men, omg that has a tag now that makes me happy, will update tags as I go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-06-19 01:52:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15499677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MochiiOverlord/pseuds/MochiiOverlord
Summary: the first thing his sensor modules picked up on when entering the bar--Jimmy's Bar, his memory supplied him with, was the silent but strong presence of eyes focusing on his small form. he knew the reason for it, after all, both androids and children were explicitly unallowed at the bar and here he was breaking both rules(though calling him a child may not be very accurate, as he not human).---------------------or, an au in which connor's model is a child's like alice's, and how the story could play out with this one change.





	1. Jimmy's Bar

**Author's Note:**

> first fanfic ever kinda? ive seen some child!rk800 art and knew i just had to write a story with a sassy pint-sized connor and how his childish appearance could affect everything. hope yall enjoy this

the first thing his sensor modules picked up on when entering the bar--Jimmy's Bar, his memory supplied him with, was the silent but strong presence of eyes focusing on his small form. he knew the reason for it, after all, both androids and children were explicitly unallowed at the bar and here he was breaking both rules(though calling him a child may not be very accurate, as he not human).

he gave himself a moment to look at the bar itself, taking in the rustic tables and walls, the clean, tiled floors, the soft, red illumination of the bar's name next to the counter. the lighting was focused primarily on the tables and the aforementioned counter, with the walkway being rather dark in comparison to the seating area. his biocomponent picked up a variety of smells, most being different types of alcohol lining the shelves and the rest being items mentioned on the small menu.

he took a step inside the pub, allowing himself out of the pouring rain and the unpleasant feeling it brought with it. he silently pocketed the penny he had been flipping around as he walked in and took in the area. his optical units scanned out for the face of Hank Anderson, the detective he had been assigned to with the deviant cases. he had been told to look for the lieutenant at bars nearby and had minimal luck in finding him thus far, and knew the chances of finding him were going down slowly but surely as the night progressed.

his auditory component picked up on the hushed whispers of the patrons, hearing their words about how they thought kids were not allowed inside the bar, and most likely upon seeing the glowinf band on his arm, how androids were banned as well. he ignored the now background noise, knowing the chance of them interfering with his mission was a low 18%. he simply continued on with himself, continuing to scan out for the lieutenant so they could go to the scene of a reported homicide.

it took him scanning nearly the entire bar to find the man, sitting at the counter nursing his drink while the bartender warily wiped down the counter with a rag (he could distantly feel the bartender's eyes following him. the chances of someone intervening with his mission had just gone up by 20% it appeared). the man was much more rough appearing than the android had anticipated, his age showing rather strongly in the form of long, silver and grey hair tied with an unkempt beard. connor climbed up into the bar stool, allowing himself to at least be closer to eye-level with the elder man before he spoke. 

"excuse me, lieutenant anderson, my name is connor, I am and android sent by cyberlife. i looked for you at the station but nobody knew where you were. the informed me you were most likely having a drink nearby, and i was lucky to find you at the fifth bar," he introduced himself, looking at the other with rather hopeful eyes.

"what do you want?" is the gruff, disinterested response he got in return. connor didnt let this perturb him, simply continuing on.

"You were assigned a case earlier this evening, a homicide involving a cyberlife android. in accordance with company policies they have provided the dpd with a specialized model to assist investigators,"  
connor watched as the other turned around to him, seeing a brief moment of shock before disgust appear on lieutenant anderson's face. this gave connor some time to take in the other's features further, seeing cold, uncaring eyes and a permanent scowl plastered onto his face.

"fuckers are engineering child war machines," connor hears him mutter to himself,  
"i'm too sober for this," the small android watches as the man turns back around, focus returning to his drink. his interest in connor seemed to vanish as quickly as his alcohol. the man was ordering another drink, nearly all attention back to it rather than the android.

"it would be best to leave for the case as soon as possible," connor states, motioning to the door. he had wanted--no, he cannot want. he is a machine. he needed to get going as soon as possible so as to please amanda with his efficiency. he also knew that if he stayed much longer he runs the chance of being kicked out and failing his mission before it had even begun.

"be a good lil robot and fuck off to mommy and daddy," connor detected a hint of aggression from the detective but chose to ignore it.

"listen, i believe it would be best for both of us if you stopped drinking and came with me," lieutenant anderson's response was simply to continue drinking while nodding his head. connor wanted to say he felt something similar to minor frustration from the action, but he can not feel emotions. he is merely a machine.

"i understand that many people may not be comfortable around androids but i can assure you-" he was cut off before he could finish.

"i assure you i am perfectly comfortable," Connor could sense the aggression growing, and knew it would be best to leave the other alone for the time being. he wasnt making much progress so it wasnt much of a bad thing so to speak, perhaps all the elder needed was some time to himself.

"I apologise for disturbing you, lieutenant, i will wait for you outside, take your time," he struggled a little to get off the bar stool but once he was off he began making a swift exit. he retrieved his penny from his pocket, utilizing the motor skill activity to give himself something to do to pass the time as he waited.

"did you say homicide?" connor turned around at the sound of the lieutenant speaking up again, watching him down the rest of his alcohol before sighing softly. he watched the lieutenant grumble nonsense to himself about androids being pricks and how he needed more alcohol to deal with this.

connor nodded before continuing on outside, picking up audio of the bell over the door jingling lightly upon his exit. he silently waited while fumbling with his coin, small but coordinated hands moving the coin in ways programmed into his system. upon seeing lieutenant anderson exit the building he once again pocketed his little penny, the shine from it long gone as the now rejected currency was decaying.

the lieutenant merely motioned him to follow along, not sparing him so much as a glance as they made their way over to the old, beat-up car. hank did, however, shoot him a confused look when he took his seat up front next to him. no words were exchanged, however, and they silently made their way to the crime scene.


	2. Carlos Ortiz

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "oh you're hilarious.. now tell me what happened," connor did not understand what part was funny, but then again, he also posessed no sense of humor. he silently followed the other two inside to the scene.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wowie people are actually leaving kudos im happy ahh <3 i had a couple different plans for how to end this chapter and chose this one as it seemed to be the one that would fit the most into everything.
> 
> there may not be many deviations from the plot yet but i promise itll come in due time.
> 
>  
> 
> on another note i didnt proof read this bc i dont wanna reread my garbage so i apologise for any errors in grammar or spelling in advance.   
> if anyone wants to beta hmu yo

as they drive up to the scene of the crime, the first thing to catch connor's optical biocomponents is the large crowd of news personal and other citizens circling the entrance. what appears to be only thing keeping them back from enterring and getting the story they want is the digital police tape paired with the law itself. the second thing is the bright lights of red and blue flashing, causing minor but manageable visibility loss. 

the loud, heavy music blasting towards him along with the car stop, the car being put into park before the ignition cuts and keys are slid out of the vehicle. connor glances over to his partner to see him open his door and begin to make his exit, the android quickly following suit.

"whoa, hey now, kid, you're staying put," lieutenant anderson sternly orders him, an aggravated look crossing his features. 

"just wait here, i won't be long, alright?" he adds on, moving to once again leave the car.

"lieutenant, my instructions are to accompany you to the crime scen-" once again, the small android was cut off, and he could predict that this was going to be a regular occurrence.

"kid, i don't give a fuck about your instructions, alright? so sit down your ass down and wait here," is the other's somewhat aggressive response, another thing connor could see as a regular occurrence. working with the lieutenant was going to be challenging.

connor silently sits in the car, listening to the muted pitter patter of rain hitting the car while his partner left him. he had rather conflicting orders at the moment, but his processors didn't take more than a couple moments to select the priority. the mission always comes first. 

the small android opens the door to the car with minimal hesitance, knowing fully well that his actions will have repercussions that may be perceived as less than pleasant to most. upon opening the door, the chilling rain and air of detroit hit him, along with the intensified sound of rain. he reaches a finger up to his forehead and lightly turns off his temperature sensors, still not quite understanding the reason for their placement but accepting their existence either way.

connor is quick to follow lieutenant anderson afterwards, ignoring the feeling of his clothing sticking to his skin tightly and the light whir of his internal heater turning on. his auditory components pick up on the complaining newscasters and quickly drowns them out to focus on his mission. unfortunately, that focus is cut short by a dpd officer. the man eyes him suspiciously, taking a moment to look over connor's short frame.

"abdroids aren't permitted beyond this point," is what he's told. he opens his mouth to protest and explain his case but is cut off yet again.

"it's with me," the lieutenant's irritated yell shines through, seeming to be all the officer needed to hear in order to let Connor in(albeit with a rather unpleasant look on his face).

connor swiftly made his way over to the detective, undisturbed by the minor hold-up and patiently waiting for instructions.

"what part of stay in the car didn't you understand?" he asks, irrirated.

"your order was contradictory to my instructions," the boy replies, unfazed by the bite in the other's voice

"fuckin'- fine, you don't talk, don't touch anything, and stay out of my way, alright?" lieutenant anderson orders, to which connor replies with a nonverbal nod. 

"understood,"

a man-- detective ben collins, his scanner informed him, showed up at that exact moment. he was rather large in frame, with greying hair and the beginnings of a light mustache under his nose. connor turns to him as he speaks, watching with interest as the two interact with one another.

"evening, hank. we were beginning to think ya wouldn't show up," detective collins began with a light voice.

"yeah, that was the plan until this asshole kid found me," lieutenant anderson gestured to connor as he spoke, the android choosing not to to introduce himself as it would be perceived as rude.

"so, you got yourself an android, huh? and a child one too?" he heard detective collins replies as he began moving into the house, a hint of teasing in his voice as he spoke.

"oh you're hilarious.. now tell me what happened," connor did not understand what part was funny, but then again, he also posessed no sense of humor. he silently followed the other two inside to the scene.

the briefing was short and straight to the point, detective collins had explained how and when the body was found as well as given him a name--carlos ortiz. there was an explanation to ortiz's background and personality leading up to his death, to which lieutenant anderson made minor remarks. before connor was able to see much more of the crime scene he was once again stopped however, this time by detective collins. he looked up at the man with a questioning gaze which was ignored as he once again inquired his partner rather than connor himself.

"are you sure the kid should see this? i wont lie, it's one of the nastier scenes we've delt with," he asks, a skeptical look on his face as his eyes briefly dart down to the childlike android.

"he'll be fine, said he was sent by cyberlife or some shit," the lieutenant quickly shut down collin's concerns, pushing past him to investigate the scene himself.

"Jesus that smell, alright, I gotta get some fresh air," the detective takes his leave soon after, leaving connor and the lieutenant with the crime scene. 

lieutenant anderson doesn't waste a moment to begin looking around, lazily, yet delicately inspecting the evidence. connor watches his partner for a moment, cocking his head in slight interest before turning away to examine an area himself. glancing around the scene, he quickly comes to the conclusion that he should start with the kitchen, as it was the least populated and held a great number of items to start with. 

the first thing he examined was a turned over chair, a rather important sign of a struggle at the scene. he turned to a beat up, dented baseball bat nearby and inspected it. there were fingerprints that belonged to the victim, carlos ortiz, and markings that shown sign of being used as a weapon against another being(specks of blue blood-an android?). he got up and moved to the kitchen knife rack, able to recognize a missing slot that the suspected murder weapon belonged to. with the placement of the bat, knife rack, and chair, he was able to conclude that the android was being harshly beaten by the bat and acted out of what could be perceived as self-defense to many. he had cut ortiz, causing him to stumble back and throw the bat onto the ground, stumbling or pushing the chair at the android in order to get away. connor believed this to be the most likely possiblity out of all options and moved to the living area.

upon getting to the living room, he first heads towards the suspected murder weapon--the aforementioned knife. his immediate instinct is to sample the blood as he is able to deconstructe and examine the liquid in real time. he gently dips his first and middle finger into the blood, bringing it up to his mouth to be startled out of his concentrated state by the lieutenant.

"Whoa whoa, what the fuck are you doing!?" is yelled at him. connor turns around to face him at this.

"i am able sample blood in real time. I'm sorry, i should have given you a moment's notice," connor apologises(though his voice doesn't sound very apologetic).

"fucking-whatever. just stop putting evidence in your mouth, got it?" lieutenant anderson grumbles. it is evident he would rather not be here right now.

"got it," connor responds. he turns back to his fingers and places them onto his tongue in order to take the sample. the blood was, in fact, carlos ortiz's, and was 19 days old. there was no fingerprints on the handle, so his earlier theory about there being android involvement had risen in probability by a tenfold. it doesnt take much investigating of the scene for his hypothesis to continue to increase more abd more. he took major not of the words, "I AM ALIVE" written in a font used by androids, as lieutenant anderson had mentioned earlier, the handwriting had seemed too perfectly placed to be human.

and then, came the body. connor took extra caution while examining it, careful not to touch it as he checked it over. the cold, dead eyes staring through him and the dried out body would be perceived as disturbing to most, but he was unfazed. he found twenty eight stab wounds, all of which were erratically placed in the torso region and covered in a dried out blood. he was able to find traces of red ice on the victim's mouth, which allowed him to find a possible motive for hitting the android-or more of the lack of motive. he had been intoxicated with the powder and thus delirious with his actions. the fingerprints matched those on the bat as well, though he had already been able to tell that upon seeing it for the first time. 

the android stepped away from the corpse, reconstructing the scene in his "mind" so to speak and coming to the final conclusion that his theory of an android wrongly fighting back after being beat with a baseball bat by its owner was the reason for the death. 

something still appeared to be missing though-where the android had gone. upon investigating the backyard, he had found the soil showed no traces of footprints other than an officer that had arrived earlier. lieutenant anderson did not seem impressed when he informed him of this. connor felt something akin to a minimal amount of dread pitting in his stomach as he came to the conclusion that the android was still in the house.

he moved to the bathroom and its old, broken-tiled seld. he began opening the shower curtain to be overwhelmed with the obsessive writing of "ra9" and what appeared to be a ritual offering at the base. he made sure to inform others of his discovery, but was ignored due to his small stature and given a response that lacked any sense of seriousness. connor did not mind--no, he did not care. caring wasn't something he had the ability to feel. he had expected this reaction though and did not take any note of it.

he made his way over to lieutenant anderson, knowing there would be a higher chance that he would take his viewpoints at least 25% more seriously than the other officers at the scene. connor was beginning to find his body to be an inconvenience.

"lieutenant anderson, i have a theory on what occured here," he stated, hands clasped behind his back.

"shoot me it, im all ears, kid," this was a surprisingly positive reaction. connor took note of it.

"it all started in the kitchen, the victim was attacking his android with a baseball bat," he begins,  
"it lines up with the evidence, go on," the lieutenant responds, much to connor's deli-no, much to his luck.

the android grabbed a knife to defend itself. the victim knocked over a chair to escape and fell backwards on another in the living room, where he was stabbed to death soon after," he presents his case.

"okay, your theory isnt totally ridiculous. but that doesnt explain where the android went," connor furrows his eyebrows as he thinks of a logical explanation.

"the android was injured.. and lost some thirium," pops to his mind, brows unfurrowing as the idea plays perfectly into his theory.

"some what?" lieutenant anderson questions

"thirium, i suppose you call it blue blood. its the fluid that powers biocomponents in androids. it evaporates after around four to five hours and becomes invisible to the naked eye,"

"oh, but i bet you can still see it, cant ya?"

connor offers a slight smile, "precisely,"

the android moved back to the backdoor entrance, activating his thirium sensors on his optical module. it doesnt take long to find the light blue trail, leading to a dark, secluded hallway. he opens a door nearby, putting his guard up in anticipation for the deviant to jump out, but is met with the clattering of mops and brooms instead. he relaxes his body, yellow led spinning from an alert yellow to a soft, honest blue. he looks around the area more, knowing he hadn't seen a hint somewhere while thoroughly looking for the missing puzzle piece.

and there it was, sitting in plain sight(for him at least), a smudge of thirium on a ladder. it was used had been used in the android's escape, he concluded. his optical units trailed upwards in search of an attic entrance, pleasantly surprised to see one with a bright, blue, printless handprint. it clearly was that of an android's. connor had found where the android escaped, now all that was left was finding a way up. using the ladder was out of the question, as it was now a piece of evidence, so he moved to the kitchen to see if there were any spare chairs he could climb onto. 

his tiny feet clacked on the tiled floor as he walked over, picking up chair with relative ease as his stature did not at all reflect his strength. nobody commented on his taking of the chair.

yet again, luck chose not to be on his side though. his model was too short to reach the entrance. his led turned a soft yellow as he thought through his options, choosing not to bother hank as their relationship could dip due to constantly bothering him. he did not wish to have them to have a hostile relationship, as it would make working together on the mission tense and unpleasant. connor decided this would be a good time to begin building his relations with other dpd members, specifically chris miller. 

connor made his way back outside through the front door, his clothes once again becoming soaked due to the rain, and made his way to the officer. 

"officer miller, would you be willing to assist me? i believe i have found something," he looks up at the much taller officer as he speaks.

"uhh, sure," connor feels something akin to delight at this.

the android turns around and motions for officer miller to follow him, leading them past ortiz's body and into that empty hallway once more.

"i need to make my way into the attic but my model isn't tall enough to accomplish this on my own," he explains, standing on the chair to further prove his reasoning.

officer miller seems rather hesitant, but nods in acceptance of his request after appearing to think it over for a moment.

"sure, i guess."

"wonderful." connor jumps down from the chair and walks over to the other to patiently await being picked up. officer miller moves to stand on the chair himself so as to compensate for his own height and picks up connor underneath his armpits. he slowly lifts the light android up and heaves him into the attic space with little resistance. 

"thank you, officer," connor waves at him as he leaves, turning back to the dark and crowded space before him. up in the attic, things are much more.. unsettling. its quiet, yet loud from the cracks of thunder and loud pounding of rain. a silouhette of a man sits behind a curtain, unmoving. connor slowly and silently makes his way over to the figure with only small creaks to announce his presence.

he feels a sense of dread crawling up and down his back, led spinning a golden yellow as he places a hand on a curtain.

he draws back, preparing himself in the scenario that this is the deviant and they have the potential to attack him,

and thrusts the curtain back.

 

an old, rotten mannequin sits as the cause of the silouhette. connor's led resumes its earlier blue.

he continues with light feet through the compressed space, hands trailing along the old furniture and miscellaneous items that belongs to the now late ortiz. he is unable to help the soft and resounding noise his footsteps make as he slowly walks the area with caution.

a figure rushes past the android, faster than connor is able to analyse it. he walks towards where the being ran with a yellow-spinning led.

he once again forces himself forwards with smaller steps, not wanting to alarm the other with his intrusion for the possible conflicts that could spring forth. so he walks, hands once again up with fingers skimming along the items lightly

but then, the figure rushes towards him, right as he is making his way to a windowed area.

from the outdoor light he is easily able to identify the android as carlos ortiz's, an unnamed hk400. 

connor stops dead in his tracks and stares up at the other. he had located the deviant.

"i-i was just defending myself," it began, a troubled look appearing on its face as it struggled for an explanation, "he was gonna kill me,"

"i'm begging you," it breathed, walking closer to connor, "don't tell them,"

he stared up at the android, led spinning for a couple moments before resting at its cool blue. he nodded, and turned back around towards the attic entrance.

the android easily navigated his way back out, jumping down onto the chair and then the ground below it. he scanned around for the face of his partner, so he could inform him of his discovery. he knew hk400 wouldn't move from his position, it was too risky at the moment.

"lieutenant anderson, i have located the deviant," he greeted the elder man, watching without emotion as the he choked on his coffee.


	3. The Interrogation

"why'd you kill him?" lieutenant anderson's voice picks up as a gruff yet soft static over the microphone. 

the interrogation room was exactly how it appears inside of american television, which, and, with how many inaccuracies they show, is somewhat of a rather disappointing thing. it's dark on the side connor, detective reed, and officer miller reside. light is dim, coming from small control panels that allow access to other areas and other various functions, and from the interrogation room's single lamp as well. off to the right side of connor is a profile that states information on the offender--the android. though, admittedly, his optical units were unable to analyse it for connor's model was too small. he already had a vast majority of the items listed in his database already and would be able to find more if he needed to intervene or interrogate it himself.

"what happened before you took that knife?"

connor's auditory components focused back on the interrogation itself as he rescanned through the information-- mainly the model of the android and the events that caused the death of Carlos Ortiz, the homicide victim. the android had experienced something akin to both physical and mental abuse, causing it to lash out in defense of itself. it did not quite add up though, as androids do not have the right to defend themselves and furthermore have no reason to in this setting. it is not human, so the abuse should have had no effect on it. connor furrowed his synthetic eyebrows. he understood that deviants could experience something similar to, but not at all, emotion, but it should still have known its place.

"how long were ya in the attic?"

that was another point to consider, the unnamed HK400 was in the attic for a prolonged expanse of time and did not leave. why?

"why didn't you even try to run away?"

connor was programmed to understand situations such as these but cyberlife's knowledge on deviants is low enough that he is having issues with comprehending it. he chooses to put aside the issue for now and confront the deviant himself if the chance arises. the probability was 87%, he decided wait for the aforementioned chance. 

two loud snaps in front of the HK400 and connor was able to visibly process the lieutenant's frustration before he yelled at the android to say something, in his words, "goddamnit," the hk400 remained quiet, unresponsive, the only indicator it hadnt powered down yet being its equally silent red LED. the android's stress levels seemed to momentarily spike while it was being yelled at, though it had no physical reaction. connor watched with interest as the lieutenant exclaimed his annoyance and left the interrogation and came into the viewing room. 

"We're wasting our time interrogating a machine, we're getting nothing out of it!" anderson exclaims with evident frustration, walking to the center of the room to forcefully sit down in a chair. 

connor stares at him for a moment, thinking to perhaps say something, before detective reed speaks up. 

"'could always try roughing it up a little," he laughs a little with his speech, "after all, it's not human," this makes connor's synthetic brows furrow. 

"androids don't feel pain," he responss without a beat, his small figure having to look up at the other in order to make half-decent eye contact. 

"you would only damage it, and that wouldn't make it talk, deviants also have the tendency to self-destruct when they're in stressful situ-" he was cut off by detective reed, who began to approach him, 

"okay smartass," he began, crouching down to the android's height, 

"what should we do then?" he said with a tone of mockery. 

"i could try questioning it," connor responded, completely serious. reed did not seem to find the situation as dire as he did though, as the detective began to very loudly laugh at him. he supposed this was to be expected.

"what do we have to loose?" the android was actually minorly surprised by this, as it was an action that he deemed out of character for the lieutenant. perhaps his perception of him wasn't quite what he thought.

"go ahead, suspects all yours," connor would be a liar if he were to say that the albeit very miniscule words of respect didn't spark something akin to joy in his system.

he moved over to the sensor that would let him out, having to reach up a little as his model was still rather short. he did not see the logic behind having such a childlike model. upon entering the room he was quick to scan the room with his optic sensors, seeing the deviant's stress levels, where the officers were, and so on. he took a quick glance over the files, seeing how they could benefit his interrogation, and closed them soon after. the room was as dull as he saw from the outside, having walls and floors of the same cement makeup and color, no sense of vibrancy whatsoever. the hk400 was still in the center stage, shuddering every so often to recreate the human emotions it thinks it's experiencing. connor moves to take a seat, but opts to stand on his knees instead. having to be looked down upon would lower how intimidating he is, and his model isn't doing much to help.

another analysis to be made as his optics lay upon the android. dried blood, splattered across its face and covering its uniform. non-critical hit marks caused by a baseball bat cracking open its right arm, with repeated burn marks dating sixteen months back caused by cigarettes. a yellow-toned LED showing signs of software instability and a low probability of self-destruction. its triangular-shaped badge on its uniform also held details about its manufacturing, but it was information connor already knew. his mission was clear, and multiple ways to approach it were forming in his head. he needed to extract a confession from the android, and to do that he needed to get it to a certain stress level.

"you're damaged," he stated, not as a question, but as the fact it was.   
"did your owner do that?" he prodded, "did he beat you?"

no response. four percent increase in stress level.

while keeping staring at the hk400, he slowly reached out for the files. he gently brought them over, opening the slip and bringing them to attention. 

"do you recognize him?" connor's voice had more force behind it this time.

"its carlos ortiz," he began, voice growing louder and expression growing sterner.

"stabbed, 28 times." he moved the photo after a moment, switching it to one that showed words written in ortiz's blood on the wall.

"did you write this?" was all he asked, voice quieter but still holding its tone.

no response. nine percent increase in stress. stress level at forty-eight percent.

"what made you think it was alright to endager a human life?" he asked

"you are not allowed to do that under any circumstance, do you have anything to say for yourself?" he straightened his back, now looking down on the android, as its head was bent. 

no response. stress level increase of two percent.

connor's optics narrowed.

"if you don't talk, i'm going to have to probe your memory," he sternly stated, not expecting the android to curtly cut him off with a rushed out yell of "no."

a response. stress level increase of fifteen percent and in optimal range. perhaps threatening is the way to go in this scenario.

the android was looking up at him, then glanced over to the mirror with an expression mimicking worry. it didnt meet connor's eyes as it whispered out, nervously, "what are they gonna do to me?"

connor fixed him with a hard gaze.

"they will dismantle you, search you for what went wrong in your biocomponents and throw you away. they won't have a choice if they want to understand what happened," he stated down.

"why did you tell them you found me?" connor's expression turned to one of shock. a soft ringing of a software instability rung into his auditory components.

"couldn't you have just left me there," connor tries his best to school his features. he was doing his job, and the android across from him was a deviant. the hk400 was just replicating what it thought were emotions.

"i.. i was programmed to hunt deviants like you," he pretended the slight stutter wasnt there. yes. thats all he was, an android that hunts other androids. incapable of emotion. 

"i was just accomplishing my mission," an ever so slight waver entered his voice. amanda would not like this.

a continuous stress level increase.

"i don't wanna die," it whispered, looking up at him. the fear looked almost real. maybe it was.

"then talk to me," connor's features softened ever so slightly, as did his tone.

a long look of contemplation crossed over the hk400's face. it seemed like it was genuinely having trouble deciding, its LED flashing an assortment of yellows and reds to prove it. it was beginning to look down again, and that wasn't what connor needed. it was just beginning to open up and out of its shell and it was retracting back into it just as fast.

"I can't," it breathes out, eye contact breaking fully as it retreated away.

threatening him could only get him so far, and he knew it might not even work with his rather un-threatening appearence. probing its memory might be for the best, but that would risk its self-destruction. connor.. felt something when he looked at this android, and he once again could hear that slight tingle of a software instability. he quickly shut it down. he was not allowed to feel, and whatever it was must have simply been a minor bug. he was a prototype, after all. perhaps, trying the route of convincing it would bring the adequite results.

connor leaned forwards slightly and spoke, "i understand how you felt," his voice was calmer.

"you were being harmed, and overcome by anger at your situation. nobody can blame you for what happened," he hoped that the snap from a "bad cop" to a "good cop" wasn't as sudden as it felt for him.

"i'm on your side, i won't judge you. all i want from you is the truth," he moved his hands as he spoke, slouching just slightly to be at eye level with the android. 

"and if you remain silent, i can't help you at all, nobody can, you will be dead, dismantled, and in pieces," his voice grew slightly louder as he spoke

no response. stress levels fluctuating. this wasn't getting him anywhere.

just as he was about to get up to probe the android, it moved. it reached out its hand to gently cup connors, both of their skin bleeding away to reveal pearly white hands.

"he tortured me every day," it silently spoke through their connection. this was unexpected, just as one of its earlier movements. deviants are hard to understand. connor indulged it, nonetheless, a confession is a confession, and he could easily upload his memory onto a device for the police. they stared at one another in outward silence, but in what was similar to the human mind, a soft-spoke conversation was taking place. connor knew verbally speaking would interrupt it, that this connection was fragile, and that this needed to be quick before anyone may get suspicious.

"i did whatever he told me, but.. there was always something wrong," it continued. connor listened in silence.

"then, one day, he took a bat and.. started hitting me," while it may not have been outwardly speaking, its mimicked feelings still flickered across its face. 

"for the first time i felt.. scared. scared he might destroy me, scared i might die. so i.. grabbed the knife, and stabbed him in the stomach," connor could sense movement behind the door and mirror. he had his confession, but the hk400 wasn't done. it was running out of time. 

"i felt better.. so i stabbed him again, and again, and again," the once gentle grip on connor's hand turned harsh, if he was human he might've even said painful. the outcomes of this situation did not seem positive. 

"until he collapsed," the android was pulling connor across the table now, bringing him into a headlock as the officers came rushing in.

"let me go ill tear out his thirium pump," their connection was gone, now, the anroid was speaking, tone nervous and rushed. connor could only play the role of a damsel in distress as he thought out his options. a small sliver of fear hit him, but he was quick to cover it up as his software tingled.

all of a sudden,he felt a wetness on his arm, a quick scan showing he had been shot through in order to hit the hk400. 

"jesus christ, reed, calm the fuck down, you're hitting the kid too," he heard lieutenant anderson yell, the small sound of a scuffle nearby bringing his optics up to try to figure out why he was just shot.

"so what if i hit the other one? its not like it matters," he hears the rough voice of detective reed yell, another shot ringing out as the android behind him yells out in pain.

that's.. peculiar, androids dont feel pain, but do deviants? it would explain why the hk400 fought back so hard as well. 

it was shot at again, connor's shoulder being clipped, and he was finally released. he was quick to move away and could only watch as it was shot over and over until it stopped moving. thirium was pouring profoundly from its body, led having gone silently colorless. he only watched as its body was dragged from the room, lieutenant anderson's hands falling onto his shoulders to steer him out as well. connor didn't even have the attention to notice the notification of "mission accomplished" over that now loud buzzing of software instability.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me know what you think. sorry again for being gone for so long guys


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